CUBDOM. 6r 



hares, the strongest follow the vixen about in 

 her midnight rambles, and I expect she then 

 teaches the young its first lesson in hunting. 

 When they become tired they stop at the 

 nearest earth, and either remain there till the 

 vixen comes for them the following night, or 

 work their own way home in the early morning, 

 when I have frequently met them, and followed 

 them without being seen for perhaps a mile ; the 

 little things stopping to rest occasionally at some 

 convenient rabbit burrow, where they could 

 easily take shelter in case of danger. I have 

 also frequently been watching a litter of, say^ 

 five cubs, and only three have put in an appear- 

 ance ; and I have been wondering what can have 

 become of the other two when presently the 

 vixen made her appearance, bringing them along 

 with her. Seeing cubs in this way at different 

 earths, keepers frequently try to persuade one 

 that they have two or three litters, when in 

 reality there is only one. You must know how 

 many litters you have before the vixens begin to 

 shift, as after that it is most difficult, if not 

 qUite impossible, to tell. 



As the summer advances the cubs all get to- 

 gethei again, and the earths are more or less 



